News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-07
SAMUEL FROST,S BRAIN.
His Death Reveals Why for Years
He Wore His Hat by Day and by
Night,


Just at the close of the recent session
of the State Medical Society, DR.. Albert
Chase, of this city, arose and requested
moments attention. He unwrapped
n newspaper and fondly drew forth a
human skull, in the crown of which was
large Jagged hole. The doctor said
that the skull was formerly that of a
friend OF his, who had been tomahawked
and scalped by Indians while crossing
the plains in pioneer days, but surviv-
ing his injuries he had lived ten years.
DIR. Chase considered the case one of
the most remarkable on record. From
u scientific point of view the skull re-
futed many common theories regarding
the brain, and was a complete contra
diction of the science of phrenolOgy.
Probably every one who lived in Sierra
county during the fifties remembers
Samuel Frost, of Frost's Mine, on the
divide above Downieville. Frost is the
man whose skull is creating Juror in
medical circles. He was Wel-known
man, and during the later years of his
life was the owner of q valuable quartz
mine. Frost was known as man of
powerful physique, great business
ability and energy.
Dut no one ever saw Frost during life
with his hat off. Indoors and out of
doors, at meals and in bed, Frost always
wore his hat pulled close down over his
head. Had his hat been removed there
would have been revealed revolving
Spectacle scalpless head, and in the
crown of the skull jagged hole about
four inches long by three inches wide,
out of which decaying brains protruded,
protected by no covering except the felt
of the hat. For ten years Frost lived
in this condition, conducting n large
business with energy and skill. Few
even of his most intimate friends ever
heard his story, and none i'll its entirety,
for he was very reticent about his mis-
fortune and of his life preceding it. His
story always began when his party was
nearing Fort Laramie. Up to that time
no traces of hostile Indians had been
observed, and the party had grown a
little careless. One night it camped in
g small, brushy valley surrounded by
low hills. The campers had been asleep
a few hours when suddenly the Indian
war yell awakened them, but hardly
could they lift themselves from their
blankets before they were struck down
by the tomahawk and the Indian knife |
encircled their scalps. Frost was sleep |
ing in one of the wagons, and was not |
at first observed. He saw an Indian
spring from his horse to scalp a victim,
and took advantage of the opportunity |
and leaped on the Indians horse and
dashed off down the creek. Two pur-
suers were quickly ON his trail. Being
without spurs, the redskins, yelling and
shrieking like demons, rapidly gained
upon him. His only weapon was a
pistol, and as the Indians closed upon
him he turned in his saddle and fired.
The nearest of his pursuers gave his last
yell and fell from his horse. But it was
only a momentary advantage, for the
next instant sharp pain darted through
his shoulder and he saw an Indian ar
row-head protruding from his shoulder.
With n stole carelessness of pain, often
by others in later years, he
broke off the head, and then jerked out
the arrow. Hardly had he done so when
he felt crushing blow on his head, and
knew that the tomahawk had fulfilled
its mission.
When he came to his senses the sun
was shining holly. He put his hand to
his head and felt clotted blood and re-
allied that he had been scalped and that
his skull was broken. Then he remem-
bered crawling to the creek and attempt
ing to wash the blood away, and also of
creeping back to the camp and finding
the bodies of his comrades lying dead |
and scalped. 1t was several weeks be-
fore he again recovered consciousness,
when he found himself in the hut of an |
Indian squaw, who had nursed him. He |
learned from her that none of the party |
except himself had escaped. He re-
manned with the squaw several months |
until the scalp had healed about the
skull, and at last joined passing party |
bound for California, and thus reached |
Downieville. Upon the skull in DR..
Chase's possession is written, 'August |
4, 1851" which is the date of Frost's az
rival in Downieville. He was intelh-
gent, and possessed considerable educa-
ton, but he never would allow any one
to look at his head, nor would he ever
permit physician 20 attend him. DR..
Chase once requested the privilege of
seeing the wound, but Frost refused,
and never was attended by physician.
Frost had great fondness for stroll
ing over the hills with his rifle on his
shoulder. To mention the word I'm
dian" in his presence would call up
cloud of fury in his face. Frequently /
he was heard to declare that no Indian
could pass out of his sight alive. In
those days an Indians life was not
counted for much, and the occasional
dead brave found in the woods caused
no inquiry to be made. In 1861 Frost
was suddenly strickcd with paralysis.
While be bad strength he would
permit no one to remove his hat. In
three weeks he died.
"He was buried next day." said DR..
Chase to reporter, "and the next night
a post mortem examination was held by
a few physicians, of which was one.
The cause of science knows no law. We
saw for the first time his head. Tho
scalp had been taken off close down
the ears and forehead. From this hole
in the bone" pointing to his friends
head piece, ''protruded fungus mass.
This we shaved off in thin slices to q
depth of about two inches, when we
found a piece of the skull bone about
the size of silver dollar. 1t had sunk
en- upon the nerves of the vital organs,
thus causing paralysis"
Nearly the entire middle lobe of the
brain had wasted away, yet Frost was
always regarded as man of strong in
lthtCb. 1IO VI
the skull from a scientific point of view
is that the rear is distended. The bone
is bulged ont appreciably by an abnor-
NAL development of the brain in this
part, which, DIR. Chase argues, nature
required to supply the place of the lost
portions. Another singular fact is that
the distention of the skull is appreciably
greater on the left side than on the
right, in conformity with the fact that
more of the left lobe was destroyed than
of the right. DR.. Chase contends that
these facts show plainly that the upper
portion of the brain being destroyed the
lower portions were developed, and that
any one portion of the brain can per
form the functions of any other. Con
he says, the doctrine of
bumps and that certain sections of the
brain control certain faculties is non
sense.
An Awkward Mistake